


A revolution is a simple thing

by CarolinaCreed



Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: Did I said angst already?, Eventual Smut, F/M, Follows the canon with some major changes, Gleb is so in love, Glenya in trouble with amnesia, Maybe Some Fluff Too, Prequel (AU), Secret Relationship, Yeah there'll be flashbacks in the middle of this mess, You Have Been Warned, amounts of glenya trash, because why not?, expect some angst and confusion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:34:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25376251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarolinaCreed/pseuds/CarolinaCreed
Summary: The price Gleb paid for falling in love with a former exiled princess.[Repost with a few additions and changes]
Relationships: Anya | Anastasia Romanov & Gleb Vaganov, Anya | Anastasia Romanov/Gleb Vaganov
Comments: 18
Kudos: 39





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, I was reading this story and had fun with it so I took the decision of rewrite it and this one is a repost with improvements over the first version posted.
> 
> English is not my first language so I let you know that you may find some (maybe many lol) grammar errors in this fic, so please be educational and help me fix it. Enjoy! :)

She was his enemy. He knew that, as bolshevik and as a loyal russian.

_The Romanovs were given everything, and gave back nothing! They were paying for all their sins against the russian people and they deserved no mercy._

That's what he'd in mind before he was designed to be one of the guards at the Ipatiev House in Yekaterinburg, along with his father.

The first thing he noticed when he watched the Romanovs closely was that, even being prisoners, they were still as proud as they were when they occupied the top of the world.

_Especially her, the youngest daughter._

_She was stubborn and annoying._

She never lowered her head to any of the guards and always ignored orders to stay away from the windows or speak only Russian with her family.

One day, the stubbornness almost cost her life when a guard shot at her direction because she disobeyed an order to move away from one of the windows. The splinters of the glass bruised her delicate face.

The poor guard was fired of course since the Romanovs were no longer an imperial family, yet they were still as valuable as they could be before the great Revolution, if the command wanted to make some political trade.

Gleb realized that was the first and only time he saw fear in her deep blue eyes.

 _"At least, they have each other,"_ was what Gleb thought when her parents and siblings rushed to rescue her after the incident, embracing and comforting the girl without sparing affection.

In secret, he envied them.

As the time went by, he learned that even in the dificult days she carried that brightness of life with her, doing her best to bring joy to her family, even comical improvisational plays - which she staged with her sister, Maria.

He watched some of them, since he was one of the guards working inside the house, and he thought that if she wasn't a former exiled princess, she'd make a really good actress. She had the charm, charisma and beauty needed for the job (not that he was paying so much attention).

Major of the plays were humorous adaptations of classics in literature and most of the time he had to hold his laughter to avoid giggling along with the audience, composed by members of her family and a few employees.

 _He hated them by his heart for what they did to the russian people, but still ..._ what fault did the children had for Nicholas and Alexandra's mistakes? He couldn’t help feeling a certain sympathy for the sisters, or even for the sick little boy, Alexei.

When the winter arrived, things got worse for everyone. The food had grown more rationed and the little bonfire in the main room wasn’t enough to heat them all.

Nicholas was restless pacing back and forth on the garden of the house and his eldest daughter, Olga, was becoming more melancholy each day that passed by losing only to her mother whom would spent all day locked up trying to ease the boy's hemophagic pain.

The only lights were the younger girls, who seemed rather oblivious to the reality they were into.

In a certain cold day, they seemed to having fun while chopping wood with some guards. Maria, in particular, liked to flirt with a young soldier of easy smile named Ivan. The other, Anastasia, was more reserved in this sense, but Gleb was sure she was aware of the dirty jokes and unflattering glances that some soldiers were giving her and her sister.

A few hours later, in the same date, a drunk soldier resolved to harass the youngest girl when she was alone (probably disobeying her parents orders to be always around them, once more) resting under a skeletal oak and she was clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

As Gleb watched the scene from distance while was still on his watch to guard the outside of house Ipatiev, he went furious at that idiot's loathful behavior. _That man were a shame to the revolution’s cause!_

Despite being who she was, he’d never let anyone hurt a helpless girl so, even with the risk of being adverted, Gleb left his spot of guard and ran to where both of them were. As spected, soon the coward saw him he ran off.

None of them wanted to feel the taste of being reported to Yurovsky for insubordination.

The girl seemed to be more pissed off than afraid. _She is tough!_ Gleb almost laughed at that.

 _“I saw that guard bothering you, Comrade. I apologize for myself and for him, not everyone has what it takes for this job."_ He noticed that one of her wrists was injured and turned purple, and sundenly he wanted to kill the jerk who did that to her. “I just came here to make sure you're alright.”

 _“Thank you for your concern, I'm fine. You don’t need to apologize...”_ , he suddenly remembered that he hadn't presented himself.

He wasn't sure why, but he was nervous... maybe because he never addressed one of the family members directly before.

 _“It’s Gleb.”_ He reached out to greet her _. “Gleb Vaganov:”_

She answered with a gentle smile that made his heart race. For a moment, he was startled by his own reaction and told himself that it was a stupid, natural attraction just because she was pretty.

Being charismatic the way she was, Anastasia turn to be very good at making small talk so time passed by before he recognised that they were talking for minutes straight. They spoked on a variety of subjects apparently boring but that meant a lot to him just because he was talking to her such as how dry the weather was and even about supplies that would arrive in the following week to fullfil the house. It seemed appropriate for a while however things turned out to get more dangerous when in the middle of the conversation she lowered her voice and asked Gleb for hotter blankets for her brother who was suffering greatly with the pain caused by hemophilia and he promised her he would try.

She knew it was a risky request, since fraternization between guards and prisoners was forbidden, and he warn her that, but she insisted and took the risk anyway.

He wondered how she couldn't think of herself at a time like that and suddenly he came to admire the devotion she displayed for her family overcoming even the fact that he hated the Romanovs ardently and that mainly, she was one of them.

They created a kind of strange friendship after that day and he felt odd to have such a connection with her.

She was a noble, pure blue blood! Everything he fought against for all his life - those same people that would throw fancy parties and balls showered with banquets while they'd pushed Russia into the deepest abyss of hunger and misery at the expense of the common folk!

Still... He didn't know why, but he felt she was different from her family, or at least it was that he wanted to believe to feel less guilt. Would an exception to her hurt so bad? Maybe not... and if the answer turned to be an yes, he didn't thought much about that anyway as they got closer each day that passed by. Well, as close as was possible at least, no one in her family could know about their unusual friendship, least of all the other guards at the Ipatiev house. If they reported him to Yurovsky he would be fired immediately, not counting the disgrace he would bring to his dear father.

A friendship with a Romanov? Stephan Vaganov would never look to him again if he found out.

Yet Gleb couldn't stop his eyes searching for her in his duty of guard. And he told himself that maybe the extra concern with the youngest daughter of the Tsar was only part of his job, even if that strange warm feeling came in the pack when he watched her.

Sometimes he caught her looking to him in the same way with that mischievous smile when no one paid attention and he restrained himself so many times from smiling back at her like an idiot.

How beautiful she was! At first, he tried to be better and not notice; to be best than a green boy who lets himself be seduced by, but it was inevitable to be affected by the beauty of the Romanov princess, just like his fellow collegues were. He was so ashamed of that, failing for something so superficial given the situation they all were into. Altough Anastasia was not resumed by her pretiness: she was sweet, funny, kind and friendly with everyone - even the employees, wich he didn't expected from someone royalty such as her.

Sometimes, she tried to provoke him with pranks (which was always unsuccessful because he was very perceptive) and that used to left her with an childish anger that made every frustrated prank a bit comical for him.

Gleb was stoic like his father, but she used to provoke his smiles with a facility that he found fascinating and frightening at the same. He felt many things around her: disgust for himself, angry at the world for being so messy, fear, yet none of those feelings were related to her as it should be.

He just wanted to protect her from what was to come so bad.

In her 17th birthday, he gave Anastasia a bar of chocolate and a packet of cigarettes that he kept for any special occasion, also he invited her to the warehouse that day - one of the only points in the Ipatiev house that they could have some privacy to talk carefree since it was under bad surveillance. That gap only lasted for an hour at most during the switch of the nigh shift turns of the guards so she had to sneak without her family noticing and he, behind the back of his fellow soldiers with some lame excuse that they always fell because they were most of the time drunk enough to not pay attention. 

_I shouldn't had done such thing, it was stupid and excessive!_ Gleb knew then he had crossed the line.

However, he soon forgot his pertinent thoughts when he realized how happy she was that night. He told her a silly joke, what was a surprise because he was a introverted person and that made her giggle with such an warm laugh that the sound was music to his hears, so he laughded too.

Gleb didn't think much of the consequences when he got closer to her until she wasn't laughing anymore. 

Her deep blue eyes glowed in a special way when he interwined their hands, so he thought it would be a good idea to kiss the ex-princess when no one was watching in one of the only corners of the house that wasn't constantly supervised.

At first, she didn't moved due to the shock of the moment, however it didn't took long for her to follow his rhythm in the kiss.

Everything seemed right in that instant, so good to the point he only noticed the bad situation he had gotten himself into when he was already pressing her against the dusty warehouse wall, with his tongue in her mouth, their hips desperate for some friction and the first buttons of her white shirt undone.

It was extremely risky and he knew he'd be dead if someone caught them.

 _“Ana... I’m sorry, I shouldn't have done that”_ He said against his own will in the midst of their heavy breathings. 

His animal side begged him to take her right there, against the wall, clumsy and hard, but he restrained himself. 

She looked disappointed when he stepped from her and ran away in shame, embarrassed by his stance, by himself for being so stupid to the point of almost ... he didn't even wanted to have a tought. He felt dirty and dishonest with his belives. How much shame he had bought to his father at that point just by falling in love with a Romanov, for godsake?

She was his enemy, but still ... his mind and heart was in war. Who could judge him anyway?

Gleb tried to avoid her really hard. He would turn his face every time she tried to send a signal through a letter or even ignored her when she tried to talk to him when one of his fellow guards went to the bathroom for a few moments, however his efforts was in vaint and didn’t last long because every time he saw her looking to him, reacting with that bruised and pleading look, he wanted to kiss her again and again.

And that's what he did in the end.

_No one has ever looked at him with such desire and need._

He wondered if it was a curse or a blessing that he'd fallen in love with her so suddenly. 

How could he see her as an enemy? She was too good for that cruel world.

He knew that if his father found out about them, he would cast out him from his life. Still, when he was with her, he couldn't think of the consequences.

Gleb said he loved her, even though it was too early. She said she loved him before it was too late.

Everyone of their kissess were rushed and intense, there was this feeling between them both that everything would be over as quickly as it began.

He felt like he could touch the stars in the few moments they had in secret at the warehouse and he knew he would take those memories for life.

 _"Don't forget me, Gleb."_ , Ana said between their desperated kisses and quick breaths amid one of their few short moments of quiet lovemaking against the wall. 

The sentence sounded like a farewell, although he didn't imagine that it would be the last time he'd feel her scent of lavender and the warmth of her skin between his arms. 

Gleb wanted to be good with words to give a emotional speech and ask that she kept her hope for her family, for _him_. He didn't knew what to say so he just buried himself in her again and kissed her lips to drown out their pleasure moans. He wanted to show her throught love that he wouldn't be able to forget her even if he wanted to.

One night afterwards, he, his father and other soldiers that guarded the house were summoned to an emergency meeting by Yurovsky.

They were given orders to execute them, one by one. Every single one of the Romanov and their employees. Even the sick little boy.

Even _her_.

 _“A revolution is a simple thing.”_ His father, Stephan, told him. _"That's the ugly part, son, the price we have to pay to reach a new order. We do things like that so we can change what’s wrong with the world and there's no sin in that. A little measure of sacrifice... you will get used to that one day, Gleb."_

The task wasn’t mandatory, yet many volunteered, including his father. Most of the soldiers were drunk and cheered when the decision was announced. It was clear that they wanted not only justice, but also noble blood to brag about later.

He could see the expectation in his father's eyes expecting him to volunteer to realize the task beside him, but he couldn't. Stephan dindn't argued probably thinking it was just a discomfort for a young midle twenty year soldier who couldn't handle blood very well yet because he wasn't used to a task like that, but he had no idea of the real meaning of his son's hesitation.

He took a step back, holding the tears so no one could notice, and asked permission to his superior and executor of the sentence, Yurovsky, to withdraw.

Gleb wanted to see his love one last time, to say goodbye, to apologize, but instead the last memory he had of her, or any other Romanov, was about the terrible yells and cryies of pain coming from the basement.

Between epiphany and shock, before he managed to leave the house, he stood there, on the porch standing still hearing shots and screams, although the worst part of it all was the silence that came after.

Gleb Vaganov was no longer a boy.

_"Love is not what a revolution for" he thought, almost laughing for causing that to himself in first place._

_He knew since the begignning that their relationship wouldn't end well, but still..._


	2. In his hopes and her dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more of a character study and a contextualization of what happened after the murder of the royal family, the true plot will begin in fact in the next one. 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gleb is now a sad emo with a broken heart and Anastasia mind is a blank space. She doesn't remember anything, let her be!

It’s an autumn afternoon when Gleb Vaganov decides to take a break from his work to walk down the avenue near the Nevsky Prospekt.

Oh, that beautiful city once, ruled by Tsars and aristocrats, called St. Petersburg is now the people's Leningrad after the Romanov’s fall. In the new order established by the revolution, they’re building a fair and compassionate Russia for everyone and he believes with all his heart on this idea.

Every time Gleb thinks about that, a deep sense of pride takes hold of his chest, however, no long after this sensation is ruined by a disquiet that he wishes was no longer haunting him.

True to be told, there wasn't a single day that he didn't question himself: " _Was it worth it_?"

To lose part of himself in the way, to lose _her_...

He shakes his head to push away this silly though. Everything he has done and worked was for something bigger than him or anyone. It was for Russia!

At least that's what he tells himself the past ten years since that night. Maybe that’s the only way he isn’t consumed by guilt.

He tries to distract his mind with the exercise of observation.

The flow of people is intense, as usual in that locality. He let the thin faces go unnoticed by his sharp gaze, but someone stands out in the crowd: a beautiful street sweeper. He'd seen her before, altought he'd never had the guts to approach her.

She is a perfect example for the new regime: honest, strong and hardworking.

He admires her and in some weird way, she looks really familiar to him. Sometimes he would laugh to himself for thinking something so out of place.

Suddenly, she’s scared by a truck backfiring and he instantanaly runs to help her. It seems the perfect opportunity arranged by fate for him to speak with her!

“It’s was a truck backfiring, comrade”, he calms her down, noting how much she’s trembling. “Those days are over, neighbor against neighbor. There’s nothing to be afraid anymore!”

Gleb, carefully, helpes her up from the snow-covered ground.

He’s able to better observe her features and he concludes that she’s much prettier than he could'v imagined.

Even with that opaque weather, her skin resembles like ivory, her golden hair falls cascading down her back protected by the thick woolen coat. Even her posture is different from the common folk.

He’s intrigued because in a crowded space like that, she stands out as ... royalty.

Again, he mentally represses himself for thinking something so stupid.

“You’re shaking! There’s a tea shop some steps from...” He don’t finishe the setence because the little street sweeper seemes to be wake up from the numbness caused by the backfiring.

"Thank you!" she says, taking the broom off the ground and turning away to leave quickly.

He grabbs her arm, making sure he’s not hurting her and firm enough to hold her in place. That’s one of the reflexes acquired with the profession of guard, while he hunted troublemakers across the Nevsky Prospekt.

"What’s your hurry?" he asks, sounding a little more menacing than he wants.

Once in a while, he despises being a deputy commissioner.

For the first time he can take a look to her eyes clearly. They’re deep, blue and if she didn’t left so soon, he could have sworn he'd seen those eyes before.

A brief chill passes through his body, yet he tries not to show it by keeping his composure

“I can’t lose this job! They’re not easy to come by...” she smiles gently before she left, this time for good “But thank you.”

He would be sure it was _her_ smile if she hadn't been dead long ago.

Instinctively, his heart beats faster at the thought of her. He still loved... Anastasia.

And when that girl smiles, he wonderes if can be possible.

He didn't believed in miracles, much less on the possibility that one of them had escaped.

He heard the shots, the screamings and... the terrible stories about what the drunken soldiers did to the bodies of the imperial family, but he couldn't stand to stay and dispose their cadavers, it was too unbearable.

Was very clear to him: that night everyone was properly executed as Yurovsky ordered.

Gleb dashed home cowardly, crying like the stupid boy he was with the pain of lose his first love in his broken heart and demaged mind. Neverthless, he had to accept that horrible situation he got himself to without further questions.

His father was also embarrassed for what himself did. He tried to hide for a while, but Gleb saw the shame in his eyes. Until that brooked him, at last.

He promised that he would be strong for Stephan; to continue his legacy, even so, the memory terrorizes his dreams every night.

_This revolution always was more important than his teenage romance anyway._

Lies, he realizes saddly. _Who is he fooling?_ He knows deep down that Anastasia meant more to him than anyone other than his father. After her, Gleb never met love again, and perhaps, he would never until the end of his life.

And maybe he deserves to have a lonely end; he made his choice and now he must pay for it.

Still... in his soul he longs for the princess every day.

The deputy commissioner often avoides thinking such things, any seed that leades him to believe that he didn't picked the right side, that all the brutality of that day was just a hideous way to maintain a power that remains selfish by all means for Lenin and the Bolsheviks, destroys him for inside.

_No, now we live in a fair regime, unlike the Romanov monarchy_ , he knows and prays for it. _I did the right thing, nothing else matters_ , he thinks.

Yet all this doen’st stop him to feel embraced by a strange feeling like... hope? He can’t identify, although he embraces it.

In a snap, something droves him back to the street sweeper so he announces to her: "I'm here every day, Comrade!"

A revolution is a simple thing, but not such as supposed to be.

* * *

Anya sits on the wooden bench near the abandoned palace that she’s hearing about for mounths, trying to creat some courage before get in.

After being prevented from buying tickets to Paris in the old train station days ago, she heard from an old lady that there were a group of con artists hiding in that same palace, who could provide her an clandestine ticket in exchange of a considerable amount of money. Anya has been reserving for months now, working harder than ever to reach the required mountant.

She doesn’t understand the feeling, the great need to get to that city rationally. Through her dreams and the little choker she always keep in her pocket with the saying "Together in Paris", she knows something is driving her there, especially the possibility of discovering any information about her family and her past.

_Family._

Just to think in the word she feels a deep pain in her heart.

She doesn't remember anything about her family, yet somehow Anya knows she had one once. Otherwise, she wouldn't have often nightmares with blurry faces calling out her name, trying to save her from an inevitable situation amid gunshots and screams.

Her dreams about them aren’t only suffering though, she also feels their love and warmth for her, making the situation even more agonizing because Anya doesn't remember anything cleary enough to know who they are.

But it doesn't end there: in her dreams she also constantly sees a young and handsome soldier, who hugs her protectively saying that everything will be fine.

Like with her family, she doesn't have a clear glimpse of his face, however she can tell that he isn’t related to her the same way the others.

In the tanish pictures, he looks at her with desire and a intimate familiarity that wouldn't be appropriated for any member of her supposed parents.

A lover, maybe? As much as she forces it through her blank memories, she just can't remember.

After being woken up by nurses in a hospital with some ugly bruises, the orphan girl spent a long time sleeping in the woods, working in diferent places and stealing when she couldn't find job to have at least a meal necessary to survive. They said to her that she was found beside a road and that’s the only detail she knows about her past.

Even now, she feels terrible empty without an identity.

Anya needs to know who she really is and she feels in Paris there's the answer.

So, taking a deep breath she gets up and heads towards the palace with the hope of once and for all leave St. Petersburg behind.


	3. She knows it all will come back one day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gradually, Anya begins to regain her memorys and Gleb can't stand any more "Anastasias" knocking on his door.

Detailed walls by gold and ceramic, noble wood floor and dusty ivory furniture; even if the state of that place's decaying now, Anya has a strong feeling of having already been there once in the past when she enters the former abandoned Winter Palace.

It doesn't take long for her to find, what she guesses, two of the con artists there.

“I’m looking for somoene called Dmitry” she anounces.

They look a little scared at first, as if they think they've finally been caught by the local police, but soon both relax when they notice it's just Anya's small figure.

“Please good sir, I was informed that you could provide me papers for Paris for a fair price. I guess you’re the only one in this city who could help me” Anya speaks aproaccing them.

They seem discredited that she would have any money to buy a ticket since she wore nothing but old rags, especially the younger man, Dmitry.

“We’re closed for now.” He speaks with a half smile as if he was mocking her and Anya held back the little of pride that's left in her to not outrage him. She knows she wouldn't be submitting to a situation like that if she didn't really need those papers. “And I think these tickets are very expensive for someone like you. So go home and let us be, right, Vlad?”

The older man says nothing, just stand still watching the scene.

Anya, well, she’s not ready to give up yet, she went through much worse than a con man trying to humiliate her.

“I don't lavish wealth wherever I go, I know that, sir, but I work hard every day. I saved some money...”

Dmitry ponders for a second and then asks:

“What you do?”

“I'm a street sweeper and...” her speech is interrupted by Dmitry, that bust into laughter.

She feels quite angry, but she insistis in the subject:

“However, before that I washed dishes in a restaurant nearby and worked in a hospital in Perm. As I said, I saved some Money.”

“Perm? It’s a long way from here.” the young man says scorning her once again.

“I’know and I’ve walked it.” Anya doesn't like to remember, that time was the worst of her life.

After being released from the hospital she didn't knew where to go, she was so confused and she didn't knew what to do to get a meal for the next day or to warm herself in that russian winter. If there's anything she would like to forget, it would be those memories.

“Let me tell you something: you don't need any ticket to reach Paris, just jump on the Neva River and swim across it. I assure you, dead or alive, you will arrive in the city in a few days!” he mocks, still laughing and she realizes that she can take this anymore.

“I'm not crazy! Why are you so unkind?”

Anya knew it was a bad and dangerous idea. She should had heard her instincts, but now it was too late because in addition to putting herself at risk, she feels humiliated.

When she’s about to back the hell out there through the big door the older man calls her:

“Wait, girl. We might have something for you, we just thought you were someone else”.

When she's about to reply to the old bearded man, she feels a terrible dizziness accompanied by blurred images of well dressed people in that same space she's now.

It's as if she's really sure that she has already been there!

“Are you all right, girl?” she shakes her head negatively at the man, who seems genuinely concerned for her well-being. “Sit here dear, I'll get you a chair. Dmitry be polite for once in your life and get the girl a glass of water and a piece of cheese and bread.”

Anya is surprised by the man's kindness and how he manages to differ so much from his rude friend; through these lands, she can count on her fingers the people who were once kind to her.

“You seem to be a gentleman, unlike your friend.”

The man looks at her and laughes in disbelief. She even thinks she saw him blush at some point.

“Very kind of you, it's a long time someone call me that. I'm Vlad, and your name is...?"

“I don’t know” she replies, somewhat embarrassed she didn't acknowledge such basic information about herself and apparently Vlad too because he stretched his eyes wide when she spoke that. “"But I answer for Anya, that's the name the nurses gave me when I woke up with amnesia in the hospital"

Then she tells the two con artists almost the whole story: how she was found alongside a road close to ekaterinburg, how she had to fight to survive all these years without remembering a thing about her past and how she has these strange dreams with blurred faces and gunshots every night. Anya omitted the part of the soldier, of course. It seemed too intimate to be told to strangers like both of them.

Her story seems to caught their attention as they stare at each other as if there was a silent dialogue that only they understood between themselves.

"Maybe we can have a deal after all, Anya. We are going to Paris ourselves and you can come with us"

She finds suspicious that Dmitry has changed his mind so suddenly, however she badly needes those tickets so she don't complain. Even, after she admittes she has nowhere to sleep tonight, they hire her to clean that part of the palace where they're doing business with the locals and even provides one of the bedrooms for her to sleep in trade of her services and a little amount of money.

She doesn't understand why they're suddenly so kind to her, but work is work. She won't complain about that.

In her sleep, a new memory comes to light, or at least she thinks it is one because is more real than the others she had in a while, although she still cannot quite distinguish the faces present in the blurred images.

* * *

_She sat under the old leafy oak in the spring, taking with her a cigarette and a copy of Don Quixote - one of the only books she managed to take with her to that prison._

_The girl looked around and analyzed the environment to distracte herself, wanting to get out of there as soon as she remembered the event from the previous days. That was the same place that that brute tried to grab her by the arm and to force God knows what with her._

_However, she was confident that wasn't going to happen again that time; she knew that someone special was protecting her from afar and that's why she went there. The person was her unlikely friend who helped her with that horrible situation a month ago and she wanted to see him, even if from distance as they couldn't be seen talking eachother close. The truth is that it became a habit for her to rest on that same oak in the days and hours of the week when was his shift to watch that particular area of the house._

_Carefully, she searched for him and it didn't take long to find him looking at her covertly while he was guarding the backyard of the mansion, being careful to not attract attention of other guards near by him._

_He went so clumsy when he realized that she'd noticed him that he blushed and lost the tough soldier posture for a few seconds. In answer to that she laughed almost loud enough to cause trouble, putting her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't arouse suspicion and he looked away so as not to laugh too._

_For a moment she felt sad. She really would like them to be normal friends who can talk without the fear of being caught as if they were doing something wrong._

_"He's quite handsome, isn't he, Nastya?" she was startled by the sudden arrival of her closest sister and blushed at her question._

_"What? Who? I just came for my daily sunbath and took the opportunity to read a little, Mashka." she disguised shamelessly._

_She was embarrassed because, as much as she didn't want to admit to herself, she agreed with her sister and for the first time she was attracted to a boy, like Mashka was for Ivan._

_The few boys she had befriended besides her brother were tantrums and impish spoiled kids, nothing compared to the comely guard who was watching her from distance at that moment and like only his gaze made her feel tingles on her skin._

_She didn't want to feel silly and girlish like her sister, but it was inevitable with him. Furthersome, there was still the question that he was a Bolshevik, her papa declared enemy and, consequently, hers too. The though of that made her_ _feel dirty and sinful to be so drown to someone like him._

_"You are a great liar but you can't lie to me, Shvybz. Besides, I see the way you look at him and I've never seen you looking at anyone like that, believe me." Mashka speaks laughing while sitting next to her._

_"Don't call me that! You make me look like a brat child!"_

_Good God, she was so ashamed, she just wanted to get out of there._

_"Sure, because your handsome soldier won't stand to look at a brat child everyday!"_

_"Mashka, stop! It's not like that ..." she put her face in her hands so that her sister couldn't see her red cheekes._

_"It's no bother, sister. I won't tell anyone and it does no harm." she remains in an awkward silence while Mashka puts her head on her shoulder. "I feel that way with Ivan too, you know. I'm sad, we can barely talk, maybe things will change when we get out of here and hopefully will be soon!"_

_She also hoped so and didn't want to think about what would happen to them otherwise, it wouldn't bring no good luck and she knew that her papa still had many allies in Russia._

_If they left there, where would they go since the people hated them anyway? England with her father's cousin, King George? No, he abandoned them once and would do again in no time. Germany with her mother's family, the Hesses? No, she knew her father hated Germany and the Romanovs would never set a foot there._

_And her soldier... would she find him again? Could they be together, as in her most shameful girlish dreams? No, she knew that even if she and her family managed to escape from that terrible prision by all odds, her father would never allow a low-ranking soldier, and worse, a Bolshevik, to court her. And also, even without her oficial titles, she still had a highborn blood and she and her sisters were valuabe in terms of marriage for many noble houses in Europe._

_"Me too, Mashka ... me too." she agreed, sighing sadly without knowing whether to keep hope or to let it all fall apart._

_She needed to believe that everything would work out for her and her family._

_If not the faith that God would take them out of that situation, what did she had?_

_She met his eyes one last time, as usual, before getting up and walking into the house with her sister by her side._

* * *

Anya wakes up, feeling a terrible dizziness taking her. She wants to leave this palace, it looks terribly familiar as if she had lived a life there, and it brings intense pain to her heart and horrible headaches.

She still trying to assimilate the images she saw in her dream... or was it a memory?

Who is _Nastya_? _Mashka_? And that _soldier_?

The pain gets worse as she thinks about the names so she gets off the bed, putting on her coat and heading towards the exit door.

* * *

Gleb hit his desk with all the rage he gathered for hours as soon as he throws off those lazy gossip women out of his office.

His action attractes unwanted attention from the local workers and he apologizes, locking himself in his office again.

The _rumors_ are becoming more and more constant after the former empress exiled in Paris announced a prize for anyone who founds her granddaughter Anastasia alive. He felt pity for the old woman at the time, losing her entire family in one day must have done a great deal of damage to her mental state, but he knows that the whole idea of the princess’s survival is a great bullshit! This only brought problems for him because every day a new "Anastasia" appears, trying to get the reward.

All these women impersonating her, using and dirtying her image to get money from an poor old woman only fills him with anger.

As if they can ever compare to the real Anastasia anyway!

Last week, he almost had a nervous breakdown when he read that a con named Anna Anderson went to speak to some royals in Paris posing as Anastasia and one of them even believed her! There are those who fall for that bitch's story, however he knows that she looks nothing like her, after all. _She was way more pretty._

He needs to take a break from this; he needs a little peace in his soul to not go into uncontrollable fury.

There's a knock on the door... ah, another rumor!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shvybz = impish child; brat kid


	4. He was the boy who lived the truth behind the tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya is in trouble and Gleb still really thinks a revolution is a simple thing. Until when?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this chapter is very important for the whole direction of the story so it ended up getting bigger than I expected. 
> 
> Well, anyway, enjoy!

“You want me to be a impostor?!” Anya exclaimes, stunned by the crazy prospect that these two con's are doing her.

They want her to pretend to be the daughter of the former Tsar, princess Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, to get the reward offered by the old empress exiled in Paris.

After so many years of the new regime and the execution of the imperial family, she barely heard talks about the Romanovs in the past ten years, especially with the prohibitions of demonstrating support for the monarchy through the streets. However, things have changed lately with the rumors that one of the princesses, the youngest daughter, to be precise, escaped the massacre alive and with the announcement of the reward for anyone who finds her by the former empress, Maria Feodorovna.

She doesn't think it's fair to pretend to be a person that she's not only to deceive a poor old woman who only hopes to find one of her granddaughters again.

Anya can imagine the suffering the young princess went through before she died, sawing her whole family perish beside her, and now, using her image just seems dirty.

But on the other side, she also really needs to reach Paris and this is a gold opportunity, with Russian borders closing more and more to the world.

This is a unique opportunity, actually.

“Yes, very perspective, of you” Dmitry mocks her again and she rolls her eyes, tired of him. “Think about that: it wil get you to Paris and us out of Russia, for good. Everbody wins!” 

She ponders for a few minutes, but ends up accepting the indecent proposal.

Anya doesn't have much of a choice anyway, besides, she has already stolen and deceived people to survive before, one more infraction wouldn’t be the worse thing in the world.

“So, how you become the person you forgot you ever were?” she asks.

Vlad and Dmitry smile at each other and then look at her, as if they were coming up with something that she'll may want to forget for the rest of her life.

* * *

“She’s here, sir” his assistant announces.

He straightens his posture and enters in his intimidating superior mode.

_Another impostor, ha! This one will not escape!_

He will recommend her immediate arrest to his senior officers in her judgement, no mercy.

Gleb starts his speech on his back, too angry to see the delinquent's face without having her arrested, even with no concrete proof.

“What a remarkable city, our Leningrad! The good citizens down there, working hard to make a future for themselves! From here I can observe the old palace and the anti-revolutionary behavior of those hiding in it, some bad apples trying to destroy what we struggled so hard to build. Don't you think this is unfair?”

A few seconds after he finishes, a delicate voice responds:

“I don't deny it, sir. But I still don't understand why I was detained ...”

_She tries to trick him! How dare she?_

“I tough you could tell me, comrade?” he speaks loudly, sounding ruder than he expected.

When he turns to the impostor all his anger instantly vanishes, giving way to embarrassment.

_It's the pretty street sweeper that he has admired for so long._

"Oh, it's you?! I didn't expect to be...”

Gleb is unable to finish the sentence due to the constraint. His hands are shaking and his face’s red, for sure.

 _He was rude to her, so much she can't even look him in the face!_ Awkwardly, he arranges his hair and suit, then he sends his assistant and the other guard, who protects the room, hell out to give them privacy.

The deputy doesn't know how to do this, she's still a threat after all.

Still...

“Anya, I’m right?” He extends his hand to compliment her and watches as she agrees trembleling, like the first time they met. “I’m deputy comissioner, Gleb Vaganov”

Gleb certainly must have scared her and he feels guilty about it.

“I’m sorry about the way I spoke to you, this job is so stressful that sometimes I tend to exced myself in some situations.” she keeps her head down, silent.” The uniform and the office give the bad impression, but I really not so bad!”

He tries to play nice, however Anya remains silent.

In his thoughts, he knows that he screwed up with her before he even had a chance. How can he be determined in everything he does, yet be a complete dumbass with women?

_Well, even with Ana he almost ruined everything. Until today, he doesn't understand how he was able to get her, amazing the way she was._

“I have a sense of humour, see?” He extends his hand to her, laughing nervously to himself.

He's initially startled by how cold her hand is, but most of all the shiver Gleb feels when her skin touches his is what catches his attention.

Trying to take advantage of the opportunity, he tries to observe better the girl's features to see if he finds anything that confirms his paranoia that there's something extremely familiar about that street sweeper. Although, she abruptly turns away from him, pushing those thoughts out of his head and reaffirming that all that was what it should be: a stupid paranoia.

_She's dead, Gleb._

“You’re still shivering, a coup of tea will warm us both.” he invites her, heading towards the tea jar on his table.

“Where’s the charges?”

He turns suspicious, somehow he's sure that she's involved in that scheme of false "Anastasia's". For some time, he's been watching those two troublemakers and it won't be long before he has enough evidence to arrest them both.

“There’s no charges! Why should be? You have a nice job, your own place in ther new order...”

“And I’m very thankful for that. I still don’t understand why you’ve called me here, comrade?” she keeps lying to him and making things more difficult.

Gleb doesn't know how long he’ll be able to turn a blind eye on her until it's no longer tolerable.

“I just want to warn you: leave your world of make believe before it’s to late.” Anya’s about to open her mouth to contest when he interrupts her, with a warning look. “And don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about, comrade. If you’re really pretending to be who we both think you are, they’d kill you without hesitation”

His voice fails briefly in the last sentence and he feels sad to think that Anya may have the same fate as Anastasia if she continues with that nonsense behavior.

“Who never pretended be someone else? It’s just a innocent fantasy.”

He remembers his anger from the past few weeks and that feeling blooms in his chest after Anya's statement.

He wouldn't imagine that she, the honest, strong and hardworking street sweeper that he has admired, is caught up in that degrading scheme of stealing the identity of his Ana! _But on the other hand, Anya looks so much like her in every sense that it's not surprising that she began to associate herself with the princess._

_Or he too, for the mater._

“A dangerous fantasy! You don’t understand, girl?! The Romanovs are dead, every single one of them!” He practically yells at her without realizing it.

She withdraws and he apologizes, feeling guilty for being exalted with her again.

The next sentence comes out of his mouth in reckless impulse:

“I was one of the guards.” this seems to get her attention and for the first time since she was called to his office, she raises her head to listen carefully, keeping quiet ”I mean, I served in Ipatiev House. And my father, he was... one of the shooters.”

Gleb doesn't understand why he feels comfortable telling something so remarkable about his life to a stranger, but he felt better with himself sharing it with someone, especially Anya. Strangely, he feels that he has some bond with her that only a deeper connection could provide.

_Is it all in his head? It is possible that she ... No, Gleb! Stop imagining things to escape your responsibility to punish a troublemaker!_

“And also, I was friend with one of the princesses...”

Anya looks at him in an attentive way, despite her not very favorable situation.

Does he see something like recognition reflected in her blue eyes? Or just morbid curiosity?

“Which one?” Anya asks without thinking and he looks at her disapprovingly for her meddling “I mean, you don’t need to tell me if...”

“Anastasia.”

“Oh.”

Anya glances at him directly now, without her head down whereby minutes ago. At least it's a start.

He also feels more relaxed, as if a huge weight lifted off his shoulders.

“Do you see now why I’m so sensible to that question, comrade?” his voice is softer and even Anya seems to be more comfortable with him “Not only are the values of the revolution being tarnished by those crooks, but also the image of a true and good person’s being stolen to earn money. And I, well, I can't sleep until this is resolved.”

For a few moments, she gapes at him without saying anything, as if she's feeling guilty. He senses ... no, he _knows_ somehow that Anya isn’t a bad person. Bad people don't feel guilty about things like that, at most when involves such an amount of money.

“I-I don't know what to do ... I just wanted to get to Paris and I went to them because I knew they were the only ones who could provide me a train ticket. My intention was never to steal your friend's image.”

An absurd, yet very functional, idea goes through his head.

“Perhaps, we can help ourselves, Anya.”

He needs to end these "Anastasias" once and for all, besides get evidence to catch those two.

“How exactly?” she requests.

Maybe he can hit two targets with one shot.

“They will take you to Paris with them, correct? Well, then you’ll go with them.”

She frowns in confusion and he soon resumes his plan to not mess her head any further.

“But... I'll also go with you.“

She seems to want to question his proposal, but he makes a hand signal for her to let him continue until the end.

“All this, through separate ways and without they know it, of course. I'II be following you in disguise, keeping my distance so they don't discover me while you give me information that could serve as proof of the impostor plan. Before the meeting with the former empress, I'll inform the Russian police about the location of the two crooks in Paris and we will both go to Maria Feodorovna.”

“I don’t understand... _you too_ want me to present myself as Anastasia?!”

“Yes! You’ll meet the woman, introduce yourself as her granddaughter and deny the prize. So she will believe you, finish this stupid contest and finally those impostors will stop pestering the police station and disturb the order every day! What do you think?”

Anya can't believe what she just heard, though she follows along.

“Do I have any choice in that matter?

“If this continues, Anya, I’ll have no choice but to throw you and the others into jail.”

He feels bad for threating her like that, nevertheless he doesn't have much choice, does he?

“Don't worry, your efforts will not be for free. I have a generous payment for you at the end of the mission, plus you’ll get what you want: Paris, right?“

She agrees, still apprehensive to trust him.

“I just ask you to not tell anyone and keep it a secret, Anya. If my superiors suspect that I have one of the impostors helping on this case...”

_He shall be executed immediately and so will she._

The new order presents itself as good and mercyful, altough doesn’t tolerate mistakes and he perceives a worrying paradox in this.

She seems torn between accepting or not, but says nothing, instead Anya simply gets up, towards the exit door.

“Wait, comrade!” he walks over to her, hands behind his back so she doesn't notice his nervousness “I know things look a little complicated now, but believe me, Anya, you’ll be doing Russia a great service.”

Gleb is facing her now, studying her beautiful features and how they differ from her vulnerable situation. They’re very near one another, altough he's careful because he doesn't want to invade her personal space or scare her, in any way. However, his discretion differs from the thoughtless act of gently touch her face, lifting, with his finger, her head to observe her.

“Your eyes, a man can look right into them...” he speaks, somewhat mesmerized by those deep blue eyes.

They’re the most beautiful thing he has ever laid his eyes on, just like the rest of her, but what really draws his attention is the familiarity he finds in them.

_It's possible to be her? Or is he so obsessed with the idea of her that he's creating things in his mind, seeing something that isn’t there?_

One thing he has sure, this girl has something unique: Romanov eyes.

And he knows why because he had seen more than one of them.

* * *

_He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed deeply, enjoying the smell of the summer flowers when the wind blew stronger._

_Two of the sisters, Anastasia and Tatiana, were assigned to chopp the day's share of wood that would be used by their family to warm the fireplace and he, and some guards, offered to help. The day was pleasant, mainly because it was one of those rare moments when he managed to be close to the Tsar's youngest daughter._

_Generally, the most robust and kind Romanov, Maria, received that task along with her younger sister, but she was feeling unwell today so the other, Tatiana, replaced her. And to be honest, he didn't like her at all, she always looked at them all with disdain and superiority, as if she were still a spoiled princess in her palace and not an ordinary person, like all of them._

_Even though her eyes were the same as her sister's, even they differed in a sense: while Anastasia's blues were sweet and friendly, the older ones were cold and distant, like her mother's - the German bitch Alexandra, just softening the tone when she talked to her little sister. He doubted that there was still an ounce of humility in her, however he didn't doubt her love for her family._

_Since the Romanovs arrived at the Ipatiev house, they barely detached from each other and deep down he envied their union, something he never had in his own family._

_But he was determined not to let her ruin that moment, he preferred to focus his attention on her friendlier sister, who could barely hold on right to the handle of the ax, trying to cut in an awkward and funny way. He knew that she wasn't used to that type of activity and revealed her lack of skill._

_Gleb held his laughter and their eyes met momentarily, quickly dodging so it wouldn't cause any problems._

_She was so beautiful, as always, and he wanted to hug her, altough he immediately repressed himself because he knew that wasn't possible and with their mother's copy close by, it would be even worse if she reported him to Yurovsky._

_When he took a glimpse that that time she was going to chopp with the ax blade incorrectly and could get hurt, the soldier acted on impulse when he approached the younger girl:_

_"Comrade Romanova, it's not like that, you can get hurt. I can show you how to do it, with your permission, of course."_

_She didn't seem to believe he was addressing her like that (and neither did he), but she nodded positively._

_He felt Tatiana's cold, hard eyes following his every move as he approached her sister, standing behind her but keeping a respectful distance. Gleb directed her hands a little higher on the wood cable, keeping his own hand on hers for longer than necessary on purpose._

_"Let me show you." he spoke whispering in her ear and tightened softly his grip on the princess's hands to the ax handle, feeling the chill that went through her neck when she felt his breath there "Here, that's right. You need to tighten your grip on the handle or you won't have the precision needed to hit the wood and split it in two. Try now, again. "_

_With his chest almost touching her back, she made the move again, that time hitting it right._

_She smiled contentedly and when she went to turn her neck to thank him, he notice that their faces were dangerously close._

_If it weren't for Tatiana's sharp, cutting voice, which made him walk away abruptly, he would have screw with his life in one moment:_

_"What do you think you're doing? Step away from my little sister, please."_

_As she spoke that his face heated up with embarrassment, but he also felt angry at her for the great arrogance in her voice._

_"I'm sorry and I apologize if this seemed inappropriate, comrade. I was just trying to help."_

_"It does no harm, Tatya. He was really just helping." Anastasia made a argument for him and he admired her even more for such courage, defending him, a Bolshevik._

_Tatiana approached and addressed her sister, in a more caring and protective way than the tone she used to refer to him:_

_"Anastasie, it's getting late. Let's go inside, we need to take care of Maria and Olga too, remember? Both are not well, and Papa and Mama are very busy with Alexei, you know that."_

_"But we haven't even finished chopping half of the wood that we need to keep the fireplace warm, sister!" Anastasia insisted._

_Gleb stared at Tatiana when she turned to him, for a small fraction of a second almost doubling over to her arrogant blue eyes when she mockered:_

_"Well, since the comrade here is so invested to help, we shall let him finish the task alone." so the bitch gently took her sister's arm and entered the house, leaving a distraught Gleb behind._

_He should knewn better._

_Still ..._

* * *

Gleb stumbles backwards as if he has woken up from a trance.

“I appreciate the opportunity, comrade. My job's shift starts in a few moments, I'm already late so I need to go.” she tries to disguise him, however he knows there's more to it than her job's shift, even though he doesn't distrust her on this issue.

Since he started watching her through his office window, he has never seen her miss a day of work and he’s very proud of her for that.

This crazy idea, he has to take this out off his head. There’s any chance that found the love of his life again?

"Be careful, comrade. Be very careful."

He finally let her go.


	5. His dreams become true (?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Agreements are made between Anya and Gleb. (And speaking of him, how will he deal with the fact that he fell in love with two different people who are actually the same person?)

The waters of the Neva River are still quiet when Gleb gets up from the wood bench, impatient and just about to leave the place, when he hears Anya's agitated voice:

"Sir, deputy! I'm sorry for being late, I ..."

He analyzes her and it's not long for he to notice her altered state, she's disheveled and breathing hard. So he interruptes her phrase before she explains herself further, in an awkward attempt to calm her down:

"Are you all right, Anya?! Did someone hurt you? Because if they did ..." he ends the sentence with his most natural threatening tone.

 _I just came here to make sure you are all right._ The memory hits him like a deja vu, but he takes those thoughts out of his head.

This is no time to think about _her_.

The officer approaches the frightened girl, nevertheless reflexively she walks away from him abruptly and he feels bad about himself.

She's in a fragile condition and he needs to be more cautious, however at this moment Gleb can only think otherwise: whoever has done Anya any harm will pay dearly for it.

"I was chased by some pickpockets, no big deal, sir deputy. You don't have to worry, but I'm grateful for your concern." she quickly compose herself, puffing out her chest and relaxing her posture. "I took care of them all!"

_She's tough!_

Gleb observes her in wonder and he thinks how her small figure doesn't faithfully represent all the strength and determination she has in her. _She's bigger than her height, that's for sure._

_When he thinks she can no longer surprise him, this woman!_

"I'm quite certain you did." Gleb reassures somewhat mesmerized by her, smiling without realizing.

"Unfortunately, it isn’t an unusual occurrence in Leningrad or anywhere in Russia, deputy. In order to survive this long time, like many others, I had to learn to take my chances." Anya chit chat without realize that she just criticized the current regime with an high-ranking official of it. When she does, the girl pales as if she had said a great nonsense. "I-I meant ... it's a great city, sir, just ... I must have been careless ..."

He smiles to calm her down, approaching, yet keeping a comfortable distance for her.

"There is no harm in rellating your experiences through the city, Anya. Don't be afraid and consider me your friend, I would never report you for that." she seems more comfortable now, thus reflectes in her relaxed posture. "The new regime is better than the old one, there is no doubt about that, but even I have some criticisms."

With this said, he invites her to sit next to him on the wooden bench so they can be more comfortable to talk.

"However, we didn't come here to discuss about politics, let's not dwell on that." he took a sigh before continuing "And please, Anya, no 'sir, deputy' for you, call me Gleb."

The officer made sure to arrange a meeting point far enough away from the con artists' hiding place so there was no risk of them finding out that Anya was giving him valuable information about the plan.

"So, let's talk about business."

Anya agrees, shaking her head and telling him about Vlad and Dmitry's plan to leave the country across the border with Finland and how they have been making preparations for the leave tomorrow.

 _Damn those rats, they're smarter than Gleb thought!_ To get across the border they need external contacts, which makes more difficult to get them because they can forge fake documents to escape Russian intelligence in Paris.

"We must leave as soon as dawn, with second class train tickets." Anya finishes, apprehensive in handing over information about her teammates to an officer.

There's a moment of silence between them, where neither of them can imagine what the other's thinking.

It's a golden opportunity for Gleb; if those two were prepared to leave then he too would need to be as soon as possible.

"Thanks for the information, Anya. You were very helpful."

The little street sweeper take this sentence as goodbye because as soon as he finishes speaking, she turns her back to leave, however Gleb feels the urge to stop her.

"Wait!" he calls out, his voice coming out a little louder than he plans. "Are you late for work? If you're not, I was thinking of inviting you for some tea time at the store nearby."

"No, my shift is over. But I need to go, I'm sorry."

"Why are you always in a hurry? Or am I being inconvenient with you ..." he's interrupted by Anya, who seems... embarrassed? Her cheeks are red and her deep blue eyes avoides him at all costs.

"No! It's not that, it's just ..."

"Am I disturbing you? You can be honest with me, Anya." is he that annoying and clumsy? Maybe he should really stop trying with her.

"Gleb, you remind me a lot of someone close and that's a little strange to me. That's it."

His heart races so fast that he has to sit on the bench to not topple and fall to the floor; his hands are shaking and he's sure he's skin is blank as a piece of paper.

Anya sits next to him while holding his hands to bring confort, but he can’t look at her - differently from minutes ago.

_It was a coincidence, it could only be._

_It's a paranoia, this girl can't be Anastasia. There's no way, she died that night! Besides, he doesn't even know Anya well. It could be anyone who just look similar to him... right?_

"Gleb?! Are you all right?! Did I said something ..."

He interrupts her, still in a shaky voice, avoiding those too familiar deep blue eyes.

"You said I look like someone close to you. Do you mind if I ask who?"

Anya takes a deep breath, as if she is measuring words well before answering.

"I don't really remember."

If he was nervous before Anya's statements now he's sure he's about to faint!

"Y-you don't remember?!"

"I see him in my dreams almost every night. I don't remember much about my past before I woke up in a hospital, but I believe he was my ... boyfriend?" when she adress that, the red tone of her cheeks becomes more intense and he would find it adorable if he wasn't having a nervous breakdown at the moment. "I miss him every day, even without knowing exactly who he is."

The way she speaks of "him"... no! If she's really Anastasia, at the very least, he need's to be sure that she is.

Gleb wants to claim words and ask her tons of questions, still he can’t say nothing.

Anya herself has to approach him, touching his hands to give him the strength he had lost just of thinking in the idea of _her_. _She was the only one that could make he this damn weak with one single touch._

The girl seems to be taking something out of her pocket, and for the first time, Gleb comes out of his trance to watch what she's doing with a meaningful curiosity.

"Here, Gleb, a cigarette to warm you up and a piece of chocolate to replenish your energy." She offers with a genuine smile and he reaches for it, shaking even more while observing her as if she's a ghost from the past.

_And there is a high probability that she is, certainly._

"I always carry some of these around with me. Somehow, I feel safe and more close to home when I do it."

It would be silly and he would let it go if a chocolate bar and a pack of cigarettes were not the exact gifts he had given as birthday presents to Anastasia long ago.

* * *

_Gleb sighed deeply, containing the growing excitement in his chest. He needed to see her alone and on that particular day, more than before. It was her birthday and he felt a strange and intense need to celebrate and be with her._

_Inside him, he knew how selfish and illogical it was, since technically, he was one of her captors, having contributed significantly to the downfall of her family, but he decided to put those feelings aside. Just for that day. Or so he hoped._

_Then, on his turn to watch on the interior of the Ipatiev house, he waited for the best opportunity to approach and until it arrived, he observed them, the Romanovs._

_They were all gathered in the main room, with some faithful servants who accompanied them to exile and the family's doctor, Dr. Botkin, laughing and recalling old memories through the few photos they were allowed to bring from Tobolsk, as a way to celebrate the 17th years old of Anastasia._

_Gleb wanted to give her something, maybe a cake, as Ivan gave Maria a few weeks ago, altough he knew that if he did that he would end up like the poor fella - in a filthy prison, if he was lucky enough to escape alive. He still didn't knew what Yurovsky did to punish the boy for showing sympathy for the family, at least none of his fellow soldiers dared to ask, and neither did he, to be honest._

_However, his ramblings were interrupted by a majestic voice; when Nicholas spoke, everyone was silent to hear:_

_"I am here, on the name day of my youngest daughter, not in the best circumstances, I recognize, although in the presence of the most valuable asset a man can have: family and love." then he turned to Anastasia - she was looking at her father smiling as tears filled her blue eyes. "Anastasia, in a different time I would have the power to offer the world to you and your siblings, but I have failed you and myself. And I'm deeply sorry for that."_

_At that point, Nicholas already had tears in his eyes too, as well as everyone in the room. Even Gleb himself felt guilty for feeling sorry for the ex-Tsar while he was speaking._

_Whatever he received, he deserved it, Gleb. No doubt it. His father's words stayed in his head._

_"But if there's one thing that I did right and that I am undoubtedly proud of, it is you all my children, wife, family! I don't deserve it, but God, our lord, continues to bless me every day. I am a happy man and have everything while we are together!" then he hugs his youngest daughter, wiping tears "Happy birthday from your Papa who loves you dearly, daughter."_

_He managed to get out of there without drawing attention, Gleb felt he was intruding on something too intimate._

_That way, he decided to finish his guard near the stairs to the top floor. The problem is that there was Boris, one of the drunken soldiers who constantly amused themselves by humiliating the family, and he didn't like him at all._

_Gleb ignored him for a while and prepared for his plan when he saw Anastasia getting ready to retire to her room with her sister Maria._

_Discreetly, he stepped on her foot, falling on her smaller body in the process. He felt guilty, but there was no other way to do that._

_"Comrade Romanova, I'm sorry! Are you all right?" She moaned in pain and looked at him in a mixture of confusion and shock; Gleb dropped the paper in his hand and went down to pick it up without his colleague noticing. "I believe you dropped this."_

_"No, I'm sure it's not mi..." he observed her, frowning to emphasize his implicit order for her to accept the role._

_Reluctantly, she took it from him, theirs fingers touching in the process giving him a little shiver. Just the thought of meeting her alone made his stomach shiver._

_"Meet me at midnight at the warehouse. There will be no watchman around for a couple of minutes, so don't you worry. Your friend, G" was what the message said._

* * *

_The young soldier heard the hatch open; he knew it was her._

_He couldn't believe she really came! It was mad, nevertheless she did it for him._

_Gleb went to meet her and they embraced for real for the first time. In his heart, he wanted to keep that moment forever._

_Anastasia was flushed and her cheeks were pink with the adrenaline. She was wearing a discreet robe over a white nightgown that covered her arms well._

_As simple as that and she still managed to taking his breath away, being the vision of his dreams. Would he ever tire of admiring her beauty?_

_"I didn't though you would really come." Gleb whispered, bringing their foreheads closer._

_"Me neither." Anastasia said laughing and he smiled with her. "And I can't explain why, but I needed to see you, Gleb."_

_She had no idea how much it meant to him to hear her say that, however he didn't had the guts to admit, instead he grabed her hand and pulled her into an even quieter corner of the warehouse._

_"I want to give you something for your birthday." he took two packages out of his pocket and handed them to her. "I know it's not much, but I just want you to know that I remember."_

_It was a packet of cigarettes and a homemade chocolate bar made by his grandmother, his favorite._

_Her mouth opened, speechless, and he stepped back kind of embaressed._

_Didn't she like it? Obvious she didn't, stupid idiot! She was a princess, used to winning more expensive jewelry and clothes than his annual salary could ever buy! But instead of mocking him how he expected, Anastasia hugged him, with a moved expression._

_"Thank you, I love it! It was very kind of you. What can I do to retribut to you?"_

_Gleb smiled at that. Anastasia approved his gift and he felt worried by something so silly! She made him that sensitive._

_"Well, first of all, can your highness accept my request for a dance?" he said in a playful tone imitating any nobleman and making an awkward bow._

_Anastasia laughed in wonder at the scene, discovering a new kind of humor in him that she particularly loved. So contagious was her giggle that Gleb laughed too as he approached her more, so much that their breaths began to cross._

_When the girl stopped, she realized where they were, close enough that she was no longer laughing. An inexplicable courage took him as he interwined his hands with hers; they began to dance slowly, in a calm, zigzag rhythm. He stuck his forehead on hers, smelling her sweet lavender scent and they went silent for a few moments._

_That small fraction of time went eternal for Gleb._

_"For your information, in another life, if you were one of my noble suitors, I wouldn't let you go for anything." she whispered in his ear, making his body shiver._

_Maintaining rationality was the last thing he had in mind when she finished such sentence; it was when he closed the space between their lips._

_He was lost, there was no turning back._

_There was nothing that Gleb could do but deepen the kiss, asking for passage with his tongue. He was a little scared because he could feel that she was hesitant at first, yet soon she followed his pace. Had she ever been kissed like that?_

_The feeling was indescribably good; he was going down and he had no idea were they would stop._

_Their time was running out, they both knew. It had been minutes since she arrived - more than tolerable to the undercover of their meeting, however instead of stopping, he gently pushed her towards the wall._

_He wasn't thinking with reason when he left her lips just to kiss and lick her neck, trying to get their bodies closer than physically possible. His hands wandered lazily until they reached the buttons of her nightgown; he asked permission with a glance and she nodded. With that, he gently unbuttoned the first buttons of her shirt, carefully couping her tender breasts._

_"Gleb, please ..." she moaned softly, sighing deeper._

_The way she said his name was doing things for him in his lower parts._

_Her blue eyes were darker when he stopped his ministrations just to check on her; he didn't aknowlege any trace of doubt in her eyes: she wanted him too._

_The soldier kissed her again, pushing himself gently against her groin and they both groaned at the delicious intense sensation that the friction generated, so he did it again and again. She was already wet, he felt it even over her underwear fabrics._

_When her hands reached the waistband of his pants, he realized the great shit he was about to do._

_Damn you, stupid boy! She's your enemy, a Romanov! The thought came like a bucket of cold water._

_He pulled away from her abruptly and she looked at him confused. Gleb fought the urge to resume what they were doing seconds ago, to make love to her right there._

_"Ana ... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.”_

_The disappointment in her expression wasn't enough to keep him from leaving, running away like a coward._

_He was deeply ashamed of his lack of control, but still his mind and heart were at war._

* * *

_"_ Sir. Gleb ?! Should I call for help?"

It was "Anya" who brought him out of his trance.

He's willing to confirm his suspects that she's really Anastasia more than ever and this trip will be the perfect opportunity for that.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." he gets up, taking care to not startle the girl. "It's getting late, I need to go home now, Anya. Is everything set for tomorrow's trip?"

He's comically pale, but he does his best to cover his discomfort by putting on the diplomatic mask of a deputy commissioner that he always wears with the locals habitants.

"I'm ready! See you tomorrow ... Gleb"


	6. Things she almost remembers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anya and Gleb have a discussion that can change the whole course of the story (or part of it).

"Commissioner Vaganov, I have received worrying news that a citizen claims to be Anastasia Romanov and is about to cross Russian borders to Paris. May I know why you didn't stop this delinquent immediately?"

The voice of his superior, Commissioner Gorlinsky, sounds threatening even over the phone in his office.

Gleb sighs disguising his nervousness. If his superior, so far away in Moscow, heard about this story, it's because things aren’t looking good for him or Anya. Not good at all.

"She isn't working alone, sir, but with two other scammers. They are smart and have resources; they passed under my radar." he lies shamelessly. If he wanted to, Anya would have been in prison in no time. "However, don't worry, I'll go after that little criminal and those two crooks myself. This time they won't get away with it!"

He feels bad that he's deceiving his chief and omitting the fact that he himself had an agreement with Anya to end the Romanov impostors farce. Though, in a way, even through questionable means, Gleb was working to build a better Russia.

_He knew it in his heart, so he didn't feel so guilty._

In the internal war going on inside him, he wants to follow his wishes, but he also wants to see his father's dream of a more just Russia realized.

"So it shall be done: follow her to Paris. If she's not Anastasia, bring her back and she will be punished properly," orders Gorlinsky.

The "proper" form of punishment meant being sent to a _Gulag_ and he shuddered to think that Anya could have that fate.

But the other possibility was the one that scared him the most:

"Sir, what if, in fact, she is Anastasia?"

"Then kill her." Gleb swallows, almost stumbling backwards. "Finish the job your father started, as a good son would, Commissioner Vaganov. If you succeed, I myself will recommend you to our great leader Stalin for a promotion ... and maybe even a high position in the government. "

His heart beats faster at the thought of this possibility.

Stephan, his father, always dreamed of taking a high position in the new regime to have more significant power over the changes that would be made to destruct the old and unjust regime.

His internal conflict intensifies more and more with the idea of Anya being Anastasia - the love of his life putting him in a terrible situation.

_Could he pull the trigger if he been told?_

"It's a great honor, Commissioner Gorlinsky, I’m very grateful." he says a little hesitantly, trying to hide the tightness in his throat. "And as for the delinquent: don't worry, she'll get what she deserve."

 _Power or love?_ His mind and heart in war.

"As for the two others: they must be executed, without hesitation."

Once more, Gorlinsky's voice sounds intimidating, but this time he pauses before continuing:

"As for you, Vaganov, I hope you don't fail again, because if you fail ... well, don't fail."

* * *

Anya is close to the train station, at the meeting point with Dmitry and Vlad.

It doesn't take long for her to see the younger man, coming towards her with a worried expression.

"Finally! We need to go! The train is set to leave in a few minutes."

"Err ... Anya, we don't have enough money to buy tickets for today." Dmitry says, nervously rubbing one hand over the other.

She looks at him indignantly. If she could (and had the right height for that) she’d hit him now!

"What? You said you had the tickets. I trusted you!" the girl reaches into her pocket, finding there a small leather bag with money. "Here, I worked extra shifts this week."

"It's not even close to what we need." he states. "And the government has ordered the border to be closed for today. Wich means, we don't leave Russia anymore if we lose this train or, at least, any time soon."

Russia has been increasingly isolating itself from the world and closing borders to prevent the entry of foreigners as a part of the precepts of the new regime.

Government posters on the streets always says things like: " _the new regime is good for the Russians!_ ", or only for a small portion of them, Anya thinks, ironically.

She always hated and found the new regime hypocritical, but that's another story.

"Close your eyes, Dmitry" she takes the object and places it in his hand.

He's as shocked as she’s in given him the precious stone she carried with her for so long when he opens his hand: it’s a diamond.

As much as she has been struggling all these years, she kept the gem well and didn't sold it.

When she woke up in that hospital, one of the nurses found it and returned it to her in secret; Anya went forever grateful for ther nurse's kindness, still she don’t even understand why she was with the diamond in first place.

Anya guesses it has something to do with her Family. It’s one more reason why she needs to know who they are.

"You had that with you this whole time?!" he exclaimes, carrying and spinning her in the air as he laughs excitedly. "Anya, this is enough for tickets plus luxury hotel accommodation!"

She celebrates with joy along him; it's nice to see him so genuine and relaxed.

"Maybe I'll get away with it and you'll never see me again!" she glances him a deadly look and he laughs even more. "Just kidding, ha! Get ready, I'll call Vlad. Paris, here we go!"

* * *

"In Paris, Anya, your first mission will be to impress Countess Lily Malevsky-Malevitch." Vlad speaks, with a twinkle in his eye when he utters the woman's name. "No one will get close to the Empress without her approval."

"In other words, a dragon" sneers Dmitry and she wants to laugh, yet she holds on out of respect for Vlad.

"Quite the contrary, my friend, Lily was everything I was looking for in a woman: beautiful, voluptuous and married."

"And did you loved her?" Anya inquires.

"Madly, my dear. But I loved her expensive watch more."

This time, both Dmitry and Anya laugh until a sudden stop on the train throws everyone forward.

"Papers!" the voices are of two intimidating Soviet guards.

And obviously, they have to approach them in the midle of a crowded train.

"Citizens, documents, please. We're looking for three individuals who are leaving the country illegally."

Anya tries to hide the shaking that passes through her body by looking away for her book. Since Vlad and Dmitry are better in scamming than she is, she leaves this task for them.

As hoped, they try to deceive the guards, altough both of them apparently find something incriminating, as exclaim:

"You all look familiar! We saw you talking to Count Ipolitov at the station - a recognized member of the nobility and a friend of the Romanovs. Come with us, we have some questions to ... "

The guard is interrupted by a loud thump at the bottom of the wagon and both of them heads towards it to check in the situation.

"Come on, Anya! We have to jump through the door! It's our only chance to get out of Russia once and for all, come on." Dmitry whispers, guiding her to the door.

"Is there no other way?! The train is moving fast, this is crazy!" she replies, trying to think of another alternative to escape.

"Crazy? If we get arrested, be sure we’ll never be free again!” Anya agrees and do no question further.” Jump! Now or never again!"

She, Vlad and Dmitry hopped off the train at high speed, luckily reaching the ground alive.

* * *

Anya is watching the movement of the street through the window of her luxurious hotel room when there's a knock on the door.

She's not surprised to see Gleb stading outside, since they agreed to him follow her so she could give information about the next steps of the plan.

To be honest, every day this seems more and more wrong as she gets closer to Dmitry and Vlad. _They are scamms, yes, altough they aren't bad people and she even considers them her friends, so to speak._

"Anya, can I come in? I'm sorry for invading your privacy, but I can't take the chance that those two recognize me." she nods and gives him room to enter.

His masculine scent instantly invades the room, altough this doesn't make her uncomfortable, quite the contrary. The commissioner's scent is all too familiar, causing a slight dizziness in her as blurred images invades her head.

Her dreams have been more frequent lately, the images have become clearer, tough not enough for her to identify the faces present in the images.

"There's nothing new and things are going as planned. We'll meet with Countess Lilly Malevsky-Malevitch in a few days. Without convice her, we'll not be able to reach to the Dowager Empress." she informs, distracted by the thoughts in her head.

Gleb consents, yet remains in the same place, as if he wants to start a conversation.

"You were able to aford a fancy place; I imagine Dmitry had a reserve and such of the money he stole from Russia." he says, in a mixture of disdain and veiled admiration, while he checks around the room.

"Actually, I was the one who paid for it." she explains defending her friends, somewhat outraged by the evidenceless acusation.

"You?" Gleb replies in disbelief, holding himself back from laughing. "Forgive me, Anya, I don't want to offend, but you are ..."

"A street sweeper? I know." she abords the window, admiring the beautiful view provided by Paris. "I never told anyone, tough I had something of value saved. A diamond."

He seems to been greatly affected by her statement.

Gleb has been acting awkward towards her lately, as if he sees a ghost in her. For her part, she also can’t deny that she has a strange attraction for him - above all, she feels that she knowns him for a long time, taking her to this urge to tell him important things, like the revelation she just did.

This is silly, she acknowledge that; A single report and he can send her back to Russia right away.

"Anya, I know you, you always worked so hard and overcame so many difficulties! And even if it's true, it doesn't make sense that you didn't sold it, it could have been confiscated; you could have been arrested or worse!

"I couldn't; it was all that was left from my past."

The commissioner gives her a condescending gaze when he notices the tears in her eyes. He approaches her and she needs to look up to him because of the height difference between them to eye into his very familiar brown eyes.

"Do you swear you didn't stole this, Anya?" she ascends, a little offended by his question. "So the only way for you to possess this is to have born into a wealthy family."

It’s only a clue, regardless she feels an excitement reaching her spirit with _this_ simple information that brought her closer to discovering her true identity.

For Gleb, isn't the same, though. He stays there, staring at her, as if studying every trace of her features.

"Comrade, there’s anything you wish to ask me? You have been acting werdily when you're near me."

"I would like to give you something, Anya. There's something I need to know." she gets even more confused and tries to complain, still he makes a sign of silence for her to stop talking.

He rummages in his suit pocket, taking from it a beautiful oval box, decorated with shiny stones.

"Is it a music box?" Anya asks in wonder, touching the case to sense it’s texture. There’s also a dancing miniature of the Tzar and Tsarina in the box that makes her heart ache with a odd feeling. "Why are you giving this to me, Gleb?"

"Just play it, Anya."

She doesn't argue against it anymore, instead she turns the mechanism and a lovely and well-known melody starts to play; the lyrics imersing suddenly in her head.

" _Dancing bears, paiting wings, things I almost remember ..."_ Anya sings in a breath. "And the song, someone sings ..."

Gleb watchs her fascinated, with tears in his eyes.

"Once upon a december." he completes with her.

Both are silent, inspecting each other, until Anya breaks the silence:

"I've never heard this song before, but I know how to sing it! How can it be so familiar?"

He smiles without averting his eyes from her's; there's something deep about them, inexplicable.

"If you are who we both think you are, it's _certainly_ familiar to you."

Anya wasn't naive, she knew about who he was referring to.

At first, she tough of this farse as a fairy tale, a fun game, until everything started to blur in her mind. She started to tell herself that it was a mere paranoia, however, now, with Gleb's statement, her memories are even more confuse than before.

"You did knew Anastasia.” Anya whispers, hesitantly and afraid of the answer.” Do you think that there's any chance of me being her?"

The idea both delighted and frightened her.

Gleb reaches out to caress her face, his eyes still shining with emotion.

"Yes." then his hand seeks hers. If were anyone else, she would deviate, but she allows him to do it. "I want to believe so."

"Then help me find out." she picks up the music box again, placing it in front of him. "You said you were a friend of hers, but how did you got this? It seems too personal."

Gleb stays silent and averts away suspiciously.

She observers him, opening her mouth after reaching a conclusion that isn't too difficult to understand.

* * *

_Once again that week, Anastasia tried to get Gleb's attention from afar, without success. He didn't even look at her or laugh at her funny faces, as he always did._

_Since the meeting they had at the warehouse days ago, he ignored her and it pained her in such way that it made tears wet her eyes, but she wiped out. She promised herself she wouldn't cry for him._

_Did love had to be so painful? Anastasia knew, at least, that the love she felt for her family never harmed her like whatever was she felt for Gleb. However, it wasn't the same, was it?_

_Maybe she didn't knew anything about love, after all._

_What a fool she was to let herself to get carried away so easily for a bolshevik. Maybe the whole time Gleb was playing a mean joke on her, making her think that he really liked her just to then broke her heart._

_Gleb hated her family, he never hid it from her. Why he wouldn't hate her too?_

_She casted a last pleading look at him, as if silently saying, "please talk to me, moye solntse, moya lyubov."_

_To her disappointment, he remained stoic, in his mechanical soldierly stance._

* * *

_She decided to take her sunbath a little earlier that day, strolling through one of the gardens of House Ipatiev to exercise when she was pulled into a dark corner between the entrances on the construction of the house._

_A rough hand came over her mouth and she was ready to scream when she realized it was ... him! Gleb didn't forget about her, in the end!_

_Anastasia couldn't tell him how happy she was to see him, because his lips were already on hers, demanding and hot and kissing her so intensely that it made her dizzy._

_"I tried to stay away, I know that what’s going on between us isn't right... but I couldn't make it. I missed you so much, Ana. You have no idea." he whispered, breathing hard as he splashed wet kisses down her neck._

_That simple act left her weak, bringing back memories of that night on the warehouse. She had no idea what would happen if he hadn't steped away._

_Whatever it was, she wanted._

_Ana felt dirty for thinking like that; her mother and father always taught her the Christian values_ ___and she knew that she was about to commit a terrible sin by throwing away her virtue with someone who wasn't her husband, but even that didn't stop her from wanting him so much that she felt a tingle between her legs just with Gleb's kisses and touches._

_"Never do that again, Gleb Vaganov! Do you have any idea what you did to me? How much did you hurted me? I thought you ..." she was interrupted again by his full lips. "Do you think ... this will make me forget what you did?" he continued his ministrations on her neck, sucking at a particular point in her jugular that almost made her make a very loud sound._

_"I do." his voice was hoarse and his beautiful brown eyes darker than usual. Ana slapped him on the shoulder and he went inches away, laughing of her scowling face "I have something for you; an apology gift and I'm sure it will be impossible for you to not forgive me afterwards."_

_Gleb then took a shiny box out of his pocket and handed it to her._

_The girl gaped at the object: it was the music box that her beloved grandmother, Maria Feodorovna, gave her when she visited the Winter Palace in the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty a few years ago. Even with her trying to hide it, the guards discovered the box and confiscated it at the entrance of the Ipatiev (Prison) House months ago._

_She was in shock and an immense gratitude for Gleb filled her heart._

_It was the only memory that she still had of her grandmother in a long time._

_"Yurovsky keeps some of your family's belongings confiscated in his office, so I used the copy of the key my father has to access during the shift change." he explained, trying to unravel her expressions. "Say something... or are you still upset? I'm an idiot to think that would be enough to ..."_

_Anastasia hugged the soldier with all the strength she could muster, grateful to know a person as good as him in the midst of so many misfortunes._

_God didn't abandon me, I knew it! He put Gleb in my way. She thought with immense gratitude in her soul._

_"I love you." she simply said._

_It was so natural that she didn't need to make an effort and didn't regret it or wanted to hide; she felt that her time was running out and that she needed to say what needed to be said._

_"I love you too."_

_He kissed her again, hurriedly, as if their time was running out._

_And was, indeed._

_"I have to go, before someone sees us." Gleb steped away, leaving a cold where his body was warm next to hers. "Hide it, if the other guards, especially that drunk idiot Boris, see you with this ... it could be bad for both of us, Ana."_

_He came over again, planting a chaste kiss on her cheek - unlike the kisses from minutes ago._

_"Meet me at the warehouse in three days at midnight in the change of shifts. It's dangerous if we stay here longer." He told and then whispered in her ear before leaving the hided place:_

_"I will dream of you until then, moya malen'kaya printsessa."_

* * *

"I see, you were more than just a friend to her... weren't you?" she thinks it’s adorable when he blushes and that's how she gets her answer after a quite long of his silence.

"We ... well, err ... yes. It's true, Anastasia and I were very ... close." then he shakes his head, as if he's coming out of a trance.

"But this doesn't explain how you got the box back since you gave it to 'her'?" the girl asks, returning to the matter.

"It's a long story, Anya. Besides, that's not the point." he's uncomfortable avoiding the question.

It’s no hard for her to realize that there's much more in this than he's telling her.

They both hear footsteps coming from the corridor outside, probably Vlad's and Dmitry's.

"I need to go through the back door, I can't risk being spotted with you." clearly, he's using the situation as an excuse to get out of the argument.

Anya stands in his way when he’s about to walk out the door:

"Ha, who's in a hurry now?!" she scoffs and Gleb's statled by her boldness.

He stopps and turns to her, sighing tiredly.

"Anastasia Romanov is a very sensitive subject for me, Anya. Do you really understand now? With the possibility that you're her ... I don't know how to react, I feel like I'm loosing my bearings. It's been so many years and I'm still as in love with her as when we first met."

He is so nervous and this moves her.; Anya can sense his energy even steps away from him.

"Do your duty, meet the countess and convice her that you're the real princess. Then, in the afternoon afterwards, meet me near the Alexander's III bridge. Let's clear up this doubt once and for all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gulag = russian forced labor camp  
> Moye solntse = my sun  
> Moya lyubov = my love  
> moya malen'kaya printsessa = my little princess


	7. How can they desert you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Anya" and Gleb has a intense chit chat after she remembers some unpleasent things; someone appears to try ruin everything that could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's the most intense chapter until now. I don't know if it's saying much, but still...

_Anastasia got up from her bed, trying to be the most silent so as not to wake her sisters, who slept in the next bunk. She put on her coat, however was stopped by a sleepy voice:_

_"Nastya? Where are you going at this time of night?" the chill that passed through her body was only appeased when she realized it was the whisper of Maria, her most docile sister._

_If it were Tatiana instead of her, Ana would certainly be in trouble._

_"Nowhere special, just the bathroom, Mashka." she replied in a low voice, but even her easiest sister to deceive didn't believe her lie. "I didn't wanted to wake you up."_

_"Liar, this isn't even the direction of the bathroom!" then Maria approached her, analyzing her suspicious features. "You're going to meet comrade Vaganov, aren't you?"_

_She was unable to answer, as anything she said trying to lie would be exposed by her red face like a tomato._

_"You don't have to lie to me, Nastya." Maria assured. "I won't tell Olga and Tatiana, I promise."_

_"All right, I'm going to meet comrade Vaganov." Anastasia finally admitted, somewhat relieved to tell someone in her family. "But it's a secret, you can't say anything."_

_"Then go - I will cover for you if Tatiana and Olga wake up." Her plump Mashka was always her favorite sister and she always felt that she could trust her in everything. In that moment, she loved her more than ever. "Just be careful and don't take more than an hour; you're getting worse at the disguise, from distance I can see how much you two are in love. It won't be long before the others realize it too, and they certainly won't be as supportive as I am."_

_The girl hugged Mashka, deeply grateful for her sister's generosity - especially when she herself lost a love, Ivan._

_She wasted no more time and crept through the shadows to avoid other guards until she reached the warehouse._

* * *

_When she arrived, Gleb was already waiting for her, sitting on a large pile of sacks of flour. As soon as he saw her, he wasted no time and went to her, giving her a tight hug._

_"Are you all right? You're pale, love."_

_It was cold that morning, so she shivered. Noticing this, he took off his overcoat and wrapped it around her, rubbing her arms to warm her small body._

_"No, it's nothing." she omitted the fact that one of her sisters found out about the two, as she didn’t want him to worry at that moment._

_"What about the others? Are they all accommodated?" by the sign of disgust in his tone when he referred to the "others", she knew he was talking about her family._

_It hurted her, but she hid it well._

_She wanted her family and him to understand each other - that Gleb would one day be able to respect her father and that her Papa would one day allow her to stay with him, freely._

_Anastasia knew that it was just a childish wish._

_It would never be possible, just as it was impossible to prevent the sun from setting in the afternoon and the moon from rising at night._

_"You don't have to pretend to care about them just to please me." she tried not to feel anything, altough when it came to her family she was easily carried away by feelings._

_She sulked away and he followed her trying to explain:_

_"I care about you, Ana" Gleb approached, caressing her face and she closed her eyes at the touch. "And I know how important they are to you. I mean it when I say that if you need anything for them, as long as it's within my reach, I'll do it."_

_She moved away to look at those brown eyes, which in those days was the only hope she had in life and in a possible future._

_"Thank you, by the way. Alexei has improved a lot because of those warm blankets you got for us." he hugged her, laughing to himself. "My debt to you is getting bigger and bigger, and I honestly don't know how I'm going to pay it."_

_"Don't give me ideas." he whispered in her ear suggestively and she shivered._

_Gleb had this unsettling power over her, especially when he kissed her in surprise as he did at that moment._

_It didn't took long for the kiss to deepen - they were always rushed because they didn't had any more time to spend._

_Ana's hands roamed his silky dark hair and his arms rounded her waist._

_"Come, it's quieter over there." he took her hand leading to a deeper corner of the warehouse, where there were some bags on the floor. Gleb sat down on one of them and pulled her onto his lap._

_It's not very difficult to guess what happened, things escalated quickly from there._

_They didn’t completely remove their clothes, they couldn’t take any chances at that point, however he opened the buttons on her blouse until there were none left. The look on Gleb's face when he saw her bare naked made her hair shiver; his eyes were darker and his hands caressed and took care of her breasts gently. She sighed deeply, almost choking to make no sound too loud._

_What was he doing to her?_

_The soldier then left his place, crouching down beside hers, looking at her with a mysterious smile. He kissed her again, intensely, and when he looked down and at her again making a silent suggestion, she didn't believe herself when a "yes" came out of her own mouth._

_He stopped himself before start to watch Ana, to see if he would found there any signs of doubt: there were none. She wanted him as much him wanted her. Then he continued, entering between her skirts._

_"Gleb? What are you going to ..." she couldn't finish, because the sensation that followed was so intense that she couldn't find words to explain. It was so good that she had to put her hand over her mouth hard to keep from moaning loudly._

_She never thought it was possible to feel so good._

_He went on, whatever the incredible thing he was doing to her, until she felt like she was going to explode in ecstasy and that's when he stopped._

_"W-why did you stop?" Ana wanted to push him back to where he was, but she felt ashamed of her lack of control and let him go._

_"We're not done yet," Gleb whispered, returning to sit on the makeshift bench and pulling her to him again. She felt a hardness on her groin and was a little scared of hurting him, however he calmed her down. He unbuttoned his belt and pulled his pants lower, pulling her closer and Ana looked down, blushing at what she saw._

_She never saw a naked man, apart from the images in her anatomy books. Gleb was ... well, he was fine._

_Before doing anything, she asked:_

_"Have you done this before?"_

_"A couple of times, yes." Gleb traced her flushed face, touching his forehead to hers. "Does that bother you?"_

_"No." she replied sincerely, kissing his throat. "At least someone knows what to do." he laughed at that and raised his chin so she could take better care of him._

_"And you, did you already ...?" Ana stopped what she was doing to look at him surprised by his question, as if he had said something very surreal._

_"What do you think, Gleb?" he tried to open his mouth to answer her rhetorical question, nonetheless she decided to explain herself better. "I was a Grand Duchess. My sisters and I were constantly being watched, nothing happened without the employees knew and told to my father. Besides, I was never interested in anyone like this before."_

_"What about your Christian vows? This is all right to you?" he asked carefully. She knew that he had no faith in God like her, that he didn't follow her religion (it seemed to be a bolshevik trend) - which was still very strange to her -, but she was grateful that him understood this side of her. "Are you sure you want to continue? We can stop now."_

_No, it wasn't right. However, she wanted him so much and she didn't knew how much time she had left. She could regret later._

_“I want you.” She whispered, at last._

_None of them spoke any more after that._

_He was careful when he entered her, kissing her and whispering sweet words as they made love on a makeshift bench._

_Simple as that and she wished for nothing more._

* * *

Anya wakes up, panting, barely holding her breathing fast and her heartbeat racing, trying to assimilate the images she had seen in her "dream".

No, she's sure now ... it was a memory! Her memories are coming back!

A name from her pictures comes to her mind: Maria Romanov. It wasn't just a princess from a fairy tale or a character from a distant story, she was her sister! Anya was a Romanov, she's almost sure now. And Gleb was her soldier, her lover.

She blushes as she remembers her dream and what they were doing in it.

Suddenly, she hears a knock on the door and goes to answer it.

"Anya, were you having one of those nightmares, again ?!" it's Dmitry, concerned.

She soothes him, to hide the redness of her face while she pushed away the inconvenient images of her "nightmare" from her head.

"It's a common occurrence, don't worry! I'm better, but thanks for checking in."

The con man nods, looking at her complacently. She has to admit, he isn't as bad as she thought he was in the beggning of all this mess. Lately, he has been a good friend, helping her find her family. He could simply have abandoned her along the road, but he didn’t.

"You're awake, that's what matters." he runs his hands nervously through his hair. "You're safe here, everything will be all right from now on.”

Another wave of images passes through her head with Dmitry's words and Anya says without thinking much:

"That's what the soldiers said, but then..." she remembers.

Shots, screams and pain. Her family dead at her side and her begging to God to take her away with them too.

They were all been deceived when they were taken to that basement. The Bolsheviks said they would take a picture of them to prove to the Russian people that they were still alive; nonetheless, in fact, it’s was a trap, sending they right into slaughter.

Except her; for some reason, she managed to scape, altough she still doesn’t remember how.

"Anya, what soldiers?" he searchs around confused. "You look pale."

The brutal murder of her family... Gleb, the love of her life, the one she trusted so much to the point of givin up her virtue to, was part of everything! He wasn't beetween the shooters - she looked for him desperatly that time, naive and unconscious of what was really happening and his part on it -, still his father was.

She feels tricked, hurted, lost and so many bad things at same.

Anya shuts up all the feelings that are about to explode in her chest and hold back her tears. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry for him, long ago.

She intends to keep that promise.

"It's fine, Dmitry. It was just a sleep rave." Anya turns on her back, so that he could no longer see her despair. "I will prepare soon enough. After all, we have a countess to impress."

He sighs deeply, as if he's preparing to say something important:

“This will not be necessary for now, Anya. I need to warn you that the countess has scheduled our meeting for next week at the Paris Opera House, though with a detail ... The Dowager Empress will be there.”

* * *

She's walking towards the bridge built by Alexander III - quite possibly, her grandfather - when she catches sight of Gleb.

The Bolshevik is dressed in a chic suit, unlike the military uniform he commonly wore in Russia. Here, he seems to blend in well with the population of Paris, smoking his cigarette and proud, like an aristrocrat, and elegant and charming like a Russian diplomat - all the things he hated, ironically.

And so handsome.

So much that it hurts for her to admit at an inappropriate occasion like this.

All the intense feelings exploding in her chest are overwhelming and the memories hammering in her head are unbearable, but the girl tries to contain these sensations.

"Anya, you look beautiful." he says admiringly when he notices her approaching; she ignores his compliment, too furious to absorb what he said.

She wears a white suit and skirt set with black Parisian accents; Anya needed to distance herself as much as possible from the image of a Russian citizen - which hurts her deeply, since she has always been very proud to be Russian and of her country, despite it being in tatters lately.

"It's all right?" the deputy commissioner comes closer, trying to check her, however she jerks away. "I did something..."

"You knew."

It's the only thing she says, still it's enough for him to widen his eyes in shock:

"Forgive me? What did I knew?"

Before Anya can control it, tears streams down her face. It's not for him, but for her family, for all the life she lost and for everything that was taken from her.

"My family, I... were slaughtered!" she almost screams with a choking voice, trying not to capture those bruised brown eyes that long ago were her only light in the midst of so much darkness. "You said you loved me while you knew what was going to happen!"

Gleb seems totally affected for her statement, as she.

From distance, she observes his teary eyes. He wants to cry too.

"Oh, Anastasia, my love, moya malen'kaya printsessa, it's really you!" he tries to get near her again, but she takes a few steps back in disgust. Anya wants to hurt him for everything he helped to take from her, altough she also wants to hug him and kiss him and say how much she missed him. "I-I didn't knew, I swear! Please, believe me, Ana!"

The girl experiences a conflict in relation to Gleb similar as in the old days: she hates him, she loves him more than anyone, she wants him near and far.

"Liar, like all Bolsheviks!" even she's surprised when her hand hits him in the face, hard. "You asked me to run away with you and marry you because you knew what was going to happen."

"Wait, I didn't tell you that before." Gleb murmures, shaken.

"You didn't have to... I remember."

The commissioner tries to straighten his posture, wiping his skin and turning to her, facing her directly.

"You chose them." he speaks with a disappointed voice, letting out a long breath. "I always respected your decision and I swear, I never used your love for them against you. Or even mine, for that matter."

"I loved you so much that I almost accepted your proposal." she wanders, while the memories of that night comes in. The two stare at each other intensely now; both in conflict, in love, yet listless. "How could you do that while saying such sweet words to me?"

Gleb is static, seeming to be desperately looking for a coherent answer.

"This ..." Anya takes out of her pocket the music box that she takes everywhere with her. "Did you gave me this at the time to gain my trust? To be easier to deceive me later?"

"Ana, I never deceived you. I always made it clear to you everything I was, what I believed in, nonetheless, even that didn't stop me from falling in love with you, a Romanov." this turn it's she who goes to him, looking into his brown eyes to see if she found any lies there. "I would never deceive you, ever."

The girl turns her face towards the Seine River - it flows calmly, different from the argument that's going on between these two injured souls on it's banks present.

"I had no part in the shooting. I couldn't stand... I runned away home that day, though, before, I tried to look for you and warn you. It was too late, the basement doors were already closed and there was nothing else I could do. "

The silence follows sharp, until, like a magnet, they hold each other again after ten long years, crying together.

"I hate you." Anastasia rustles with her nose buried in Gleb's chest, while she whines desperately. "I hate you."

Gleb lifts her chin to feature at those deep blues eyes that he adores so:

"I love you." he whispers. "I never stopped, not for a minute." Then Gleb kisses her.

It's not a kiss of love or passion, but a kiss that manifests itself in desperation for connection - something they both had not felt in a long time.

"And I know you love me too." the deputy touches his forehead to hers, while their hot breaths crosses paths. "We were made for each other."

She craves to give up her hesitation, give herself to him once and for all. However, this isn't her thinking rationally. It's her desire to belong to someone, as she once belonged to the Romanovs and him. Anya feels so many things for him at the same: hate, fury, love, desire and disgust.

This is what Gleb Vaganov has done to her since they met in that prison: to go against her own nature and beliefs; she isn't sure if it was love or despair, desire or fear of losing.

"I don't know what to think, Gleb." Anya steps away in the opposite direction, although something seems to pulling her back to him - like an invisible line. "I never know when you is telling the truth or just being the exemplary citizen of the new regime. As far as I know at any moment you can hand me over to Cheka or even send me to a Gulag, since now you know that I am the real Anastasia.”

Her words hit him like a stab and Gleb stands there, pale and horrified with she just said.

“You would be venerated throughout for all Russia. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

"Ana, this is unfair. You know I would never do such thing! I had a lot of opportunity and the power to do that, but I never did, nevertheless." he pleads, disconcerted. "When are you going to understand that you are more important to me than anything?"

Anya swallows, a little sorry for what she claimed, yet she doesn't show otherwise.

She's deeply hurt and she wants to do the same to him, even if harm him hurts her even more.

"I need some time to think." she replies, avoiding his desperate look.

Then she rounds to leave, before that, he stops her:

"If you believe in us and want to get it back, whatever we had, find me at that address tomorrow night: it's the facility I'm staying at. So I'll know." he goes to her to speak up close, giving her a paper where lies the location he just talked about.

She studies the piece of paper, unable to say anything.

"But please, my love, don't run away from me again. Not without giving me an answer. I don't know if I'm going to endure this again."

* * *

"Sir, with what I saw today, along with the information we have about the so-called citizen Anya and her romantic association with Commissioner Gleb Vaganov, I assure you that the girl is certainly Anastasia Romanov." he reports over the phone to his superior, Commissioner Gorlisnky.

A mix of fury and excitement takes over his heart in his hotel room.

"These are very serious accusations, Malakovich. Despite his father's weakness, Vaganov has proven himself useful and loyal so far." the deep, menacing voice sounds somewhat indignant from behind the telephone set. "Do you have any proof of that absurd?"

"He gave her an object that belonged to the Grand Duchess; a music box adorned with precious stones, sir. I already sent some photos to Cheka's headquarters here in Paris and it shall reach you, in Russia, within a few days. " these new cameras of modernity are a real marvel, the lieutenant wouldn't be able to prove what his is saying otherwise. "How could he posses such a expensive adorn, and worse, after it disappeared from Commander Yurovsky's office years ago?"

Vaganov was a traitor, as was his father, soiling the ideas of the revolution just to fuck the Romanov whore under the noses of his superiors, since House Ipatiev times.

The bastard was never punished for that, after all his daddy was a commander and was in charge of all logistic in the House, his authority was only below Yurovsky's.

"If it's true, I am deeply disappointed. Stephan was a traitor, however I thought that at least his son could be useful; he was always a loyal boy and committed to sacrificing himself for the new regime. It seems he is his father's son, after all."

Gorlisky takes a dramatic break before saying what he has to say:

"I will analyze the evidence when it arrives in my hands, Lieutenant. If your charges are proven, I give you complete permission to immediately execute Commissioner Gleb Vaganov and Anastasia Romanov. You will be allowed to ask for assistance at Cheka's headquarters in Paris, in addition to recruit as many men as you need for your task. "

This time he won't get away with it: Boris Malakovich will do whatever it takes to destroy that traitor and everyone who dares to tarnish the name of the Revolution.

Boris is about to hang up when he hears his superior voice calling for him:

"Good job, Malakovich." he tries to contain the excitement at the complimment. He was working for a better Russia by eliminating the plague that corrupted it and that brings him immense pride. "Do your duty and you will be well rewarded. It's a simple thing, like the revolution that Vaganov doesn't seem to understand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheka = USSR's secret police that were kind of spies and had headquarters present in almost all of Europe. 
> 
> Boris = A true motherfucker; Hope you (des)like him :D


End file.
